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Transcript

Dresden Sept, 3rd./1874
My Dear Son
At last, my eyes have almost re-
covered their former strength which is but
poor at best. I use then with great care
as every time I attempt to read they feel
bad & begin to smart. Elliots attack has lasted
longer than mine as I could not keep his out
of the light & dust Yet they are improving all
the time. he is beginning to fatten looks
rosey and is as playful as a kitten.
Well I sup-
pose today you are in Waco, I am so glad
you have had the trip as you must need
a change & rest sadly, I often think of you
delving away [in] this hot weather, with no one
particularly to cheer or bid you Gods speed
I received quite a number of Papers within
the last few days all of which I look over
and read every mention of you with pride
and pleasure. I shall feel anxious to learn
the result of the Convention, as I find Mills is
very popular in this Co.
I am thinking of start-
ing home towards the middle of this month
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have not fixed upon the precise day as it is
drizzling rain today the 7th of the month
I delayed finishing my letter, as I had no opp
-ortunity of sending it to the Office. Brother
has seen Mr. Carroll one of the Waco deli-
gates to the Convention, from whom we learned
Mills had received the nomination for
Congress. I feel sadly disappointed, & know
you must also. As I have made such
a long stay, and money being scarce in
this section on account of the failure in
the Cotton Crops, I feel like I would like
to make the family some presents of such
things as I see they most need before I
leave, could you spare me some more mon
ey to enable me to do so; I think ten dollars
would answer.
Brothers health continues
poor. Thursday last he fainted and fell full
length on the floor, he had taken Blue moss
the might before, the action of which seemed
to prostrat[e] him very much, he seems sad
and depressed all the time, and the failure
in Cotton seems to add to it as he is some in
debt. then too he seems to think if he could
get away from here he would be better sat-
isfied altho he has no place in view to
move to. I think bad health & the
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scarcity of money is the cause of his feeling
so sad, he has always[s] been accustomed to
have plenty of money as he had a large
stock of cattle & if Crops failed he could
sell beeves & always raise what he needed
in that way, now he has no such resource
We are still having plenty of Peaches tho
they are not so good on account of the hot
dry weather. Apples are beginning to taste
sweet. If I get off by the fifteenth I will
bring some with me. I have dried some
nice fruit to take home
Since crops were
laid by Protracted "meetings" have been all
the rage. I went with the family one Sunday
night to the weather being too warm to go in
day time I heard some loud shouting, and
much poor singing & praying too, but such
crowds of people as attend these meeting[s] it
reminded me of the Fair ground every body &
his wife & all the children down to babies, and
such music as they make crying is terrible
I will let you know the day I will come
down, that you may meet me, there is but little
sickness any where here. Elliot & I keep well
I never have been so frisky. God bless you
my darling son As ever you loving
Mother Mary Jones
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[Written sideways along the margin of page 3]
I had a letter of Augst 28 from Sallie in which she mentions
having been very sick. Poor Sis she has missed me this summer